B-myb rescues ras-induced premature senescence, which requires its transactivation domain.

B-myb, a ubiquitously expressed member of the myb gene family, is highly regulated throughout the cell cycle and appears to be required for cell cycle progression. In contrast to its relatives A-myb, c-myb, and v-myb, no transforming activity of B-myb has been reported thus far. We report here that B-myb can rescue senescence induced by an activated ras oncogene in rodent cells in vitro. We show that transformation by B-Myb involves its ability to activate transcription. Similar to other oncogenic transcription factors, such as c-Myc and E2F, we show that B-Myb also has repression activity. We demonstrate that the C-terminus of B-Myb can function as a repressor of transcription, that B-Myb interacts with the repressor molecules BS69 and N-CoR and that the repression function, like the transactivation domain, contributes to B-myb transformation.

The adenovirus E1A binding protein BS69 is a corepressor of transcription through recruitment of N-CoR.

BS69 was first identified as a protein that interacts directly with the transactivation domain (conserved region 3) of the 289R adenovirus type 5 E1A protein. We show here that BS69 is a potent repressor of transcription. BS69 mediates repression, at least in part, through interaction with the co-repressor N-CoR. BS69 interacts with N-CoR through a MYND domain in its carboxyl terminus. A recently cloned splice variant of BS69, designated BRAM1, is also capable of interacting with N-CoR and E1A, but unlike BS69, is not able to repress transcription, indicating that N-CoR interaction is necessary but not sufficient for BS69 repression. Expression of E1A inhibits repression mediated by BS69. Our data suggest that BS69 participates in transcriptional repressor complexes and that E1A can modulate these complexes through interaction with BS69.

Caring for the elderly without residential care homes and nursing homes.

For decades, intramural care of infirm elderly persons in the Netherlands has been classified into caring for them in residential care homes and nursing homes. Over the past five to ten years, the composition of the population of elderly persons has been subject to change, particularly of those in residential care homes. Organisations and institutions providing care for the elderly are going through turbulent times. All kinds of partnerships between residential care and nursing homes are being entered into. Intramural organisations providing care and nursing will have to respond to the integration of caring and nursing functions. Based on a pilot study into the need for care and support among the elderly in residential care and nursing homes, the author proposes a structure in which the first echelon consists of home care, the second of care centres and the third of geriatric centres where mainly cure oriented care is provided.

Interference with the expression of a novel human polycomb protein, hPc2, results in cellular transformation and apoptosis.

Polycomb (Pc) is involved in the stable and heritable repression of homeotic gene activity during Drosophila development. Here, we report the identification of a novel human Pc homolog, hPc2. This gene is more closely related to a Xenopus Pc homolog, XPc, than to a previously described human Pc homolog, CBX2 (hPc1). However, the hPc2 and CBX2/hPc1 proteins colocalize in interphase nuclei of human U-2 OS osteosarcoma cells, suggesting that the proteins are part of a common protein complex. To study the functions of the novel human Pc homolog, we generated a mutant protein, delta hPc2, which lacks an evolutionarily conserved C-terminal domain. This C-terminal domain is important for hPc2 function, since the delta hPc2 mutant protein which lacks the C-terminal domain is unable to repress gene activity. Expression of the delta hPc2 protein, but not of the wild-type hPc2 protein, results in cellular transformation of mammalian cell lines as judged by phenotypic changes, altered marker gene expression, and anchorage-independent growth. Specifically in delta hPc2-transformed cells, the expression of the c-myc proto-oncogene is strongly enhanced and serum deprivation results in apoptosis. In contrast, overexpression of the wild-type hPc2 protein results in decreased c-myc expression. Our data suggest that hPc2 is a repressor of proto-oncogene activity and that interference with hPc2 function can lead to derepression of proto-oncogene transcription and subsequently to cellular transformation.

Role concepts and expectations of physicians and nurses in hospitals.

The social environment in which hospitals in the Netherlands have to function nowadays is greatly changing. Over the last 10 years the policy of the Dutch government has become less directive, market mechanisms are gaining weight and the demand for services by patients is changing. As a result of these changes hospitals formulate their strategic goals in terms of improvement of quality of care and efficacy. A basic assumption in this article is that quality of care is to be gained by collaborative practice between physicians and nurses. A necessary condition for this is that there is a correspondence in role concepts and expectancies of physicians and nurses in hospitals. The object of this research is to describe the role concepts and role expectations of nurses, physicians and patients in two Dutch hospitals. In general, the research revealed considerable differences between role behaviour and role concepts among nurses. In the long run these differences may not be favourable for good understanding between them and physicians, or for their own job satisfaction. This may also have negative consequences for collaboration between nurses and physicians and, finally, for the quality of care and cure within the ward. There is a need for discussion of the role concepts of nurses in relation to their actual regular tasks in order to resolve this. A second discrepancy exists between the role behaviour of physicians and the expectations of nurses about this behaviour. This may also lead to a lower job satisfaction for nurses. Taking into account the fact that patients are satisfied with the way physicians and nurses pay attention to most aspects of care and cure, a discussion between physicians and nurses could be recommended. The aim is revising either the role behaviour of physicians, especially as regards their attention to the psycho-social needs of patients, or the expectations of nurses, or both.

[Role concepts and role expectations of professionals in hospitals]. / Rolopvattingen en rolverwachtingen van professionals in ziekenhuizen.

This article describes the results of a research about role conceptions and role expectations of physicians, nurses and patients in two general hospitals. The research reveals discrepancies between the role conceptions and role behaviour of nurses and also between the role expectations of nurses and role behaviour of physicians. In contrast, patients and physicians, for the most part, were satisfied with the role behaviour of the nurses. These discrepancies can be a barrier to collaboration between physicians and nurses and to quality of care. Discussing specific case studies is a possible strategy which can be used to influence the role conceptions and role expectations of physicians and nurses from a hospital ward.